BRITAIN'S top public health experts have launched an investigation into an outbreak of the human form of mad cow disease in Stockport.

In December, the M.E.N. revealed that two young men from Adswood, who lived 200 yards apart, died of new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob's Disease (vCJD).

It prompted public health chiefs to investigate the possibly of a cluster of cases after 34-year-old Steven Lunt died in April. Eight months later, Paul Dickens, who lived nearby, died after suffering memory lapses and a loss of co-ordination - the same symptoms as Mr Lunt.

It emerged Mr Dickens, a keen amateur footballer, enjoyed a pre-match burger every Saturday. Now scientists have confirmed that Mr Dickens had also been struck down by vCJD.

The confirmation prompted specialists from the CJD Surveillance Unit in Edinburgh, the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre in London and experts from the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene to hold a crisis meeting with health and environment chiefs in Stockport to review protection measures and agree a plan of action.

They have now launched an investigation to try to identify possible sources of infection, including butchers' shops from which Mr Dickens and Mr Lunt may have eaten BSE-infected beef.

Dr David Baxter, Stockport's director of communicable disease control, said: ''The investigation will look at all possible sources of BSE these two men may have been exposed to during the 1980s and 1990s. Food is one key area but no potential source will be ruled out.''